Maple Leafs clinch playoff berth after Flyers, Capitals both lose
Posted April 5, 2024 10:11 pm.
Despite not playing a game on Friday, the Toronto Maple Leafs have clinched a playoff berth after the Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals both lost, becoming the third Canadian team to do so.
They could’ve clinched a spot in the post-season on Wednesday had they gotten at least a point against the Tampa Bay Lightning, but they would go on to lose the game 4-1. The Maple Leafs are currently 43-23-9 with seven games to go.
This will be the eighth year in a row that they’ve qualified for the post-season and fifth with coach Sheldon Keefe running the bench.
After finally getting the monkey off their back last year, taking down the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round, they lost in five games to the Florida Panthers.
Should the standings stay put the rest of the way, they’ll have a rematch with those Panthers in the first round, with Florida holding the home-ice advantage. On the other side of the Atlantic first round would be more familiar foes in the Lightning and Bruins squaring off.
